Slide actuator for slide fasteners



Oct. 7, 1958 G. H. RUDING ETAL 2,854,722

SLIDE ACTUATOR FOR SLIDE FASTENERS F iled May '11 1953 George h. Rad/pgCharles E. Dacha IN VEN TORS United States Patent SLIDE ACTUATOR FORSLIDE FASTENERS George H. Ruding, West Allenhurst, and Charles E. Duch,Red Bank, N. J.

Application May 11, 1953, Serial N 0. 354,316

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-20515) Our invention relates to improvements inactuators for the slides of slide fasteners of the zipper type.

The primary object of our invention is to provide an efficient actuatordesigned for quick easy attachment to the tabs on the slides of suchslide fasteners to push or pull the slides for opening or closing thefasteners while smoothing down material, or skin, under the slide fasteners to prevent pinching or catching of the material or skin in thefasteners during opening and closing thereof.

Another object is to provide an actuator for the above purpose which isadapted for attachment to either solid or apertured tabs of such slidefastener slides.

Still another object is to provide an actuator for the above purposeswhich will not catch in nor tear material under the slide fasteners andwhich is designed for very inexpensive production as an article ofmanufacture for the low price trade.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of our invention,together with the precise nature of our improvements will be readilyunderstood when the succeeding description and claims are read withreference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation illustrating oneapplication and use of our improved actuator;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the actuator detached;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of the same;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in front elevation illustrating anotherapplication and use of the actuator;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view, similar to Figure 5, but partly inlongitudinal section and partly in side elevation and illustrating stillanother application and use of the actuator, and

Figure 8 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure7.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, the actuator of our inventioncomprises a member 1 including a shank portion 3, preferably fiattransversely, and longitudinally curved, a widened oval runner portion 5at one end of the shank 3 longitudinally and transversely concavoconvexand substantially spoon-shaped to provide a convex bottom 7 thereonlongitudinally curved reversely relative to the shank 3, and a widenedreturn bend hook portion 9 on its other'end having a substantially ovalterminal runner portion 11. The hook portion 9 and bottom 7 are atopposite sides of the shank portion 3.

At substantially the juncture of the shank portion 3 and runner portion5 an outstanding attaching lug 13 is bent out of the member 1 on theconcave side 15 of the runner portion 5. The lug 13 is of the propersize to fit loosely in the usual aperture 17 in the tab 19 of the slide21 of the usual slide fastener for opening and closing the 2 stringers23 of the zipper type slide fastener 25. Be tween the tip 27 of therunner portion 5 and the lug 13 and at the rear portion of said runnerportion 5, a transverse slot 29 is provided in said runner portion 5 forthe insertion therein of the solid type tab 31 of some of such slides21. The slot 29 transversely thereof lies in a plane oblique to theconcave face, or side 15 of the runner portion 5 and extends outwardlyof said side or face 15 to facilitate inserting the tab 31 into andthrough said slot.

The runner portion 11 has formed therein at a suitable distance from itstip 33 a transverse slot 35 which is of sufiicient length to admittherein the tab 31 and which has the form of a figure eight to provide apair of opposite, central teeth 39 in the slot at opposite sides of thetab positioned in the slot.

The described member 1 is formed of any suitable light strong material,for instance aluminum.

In one use and application of the described actuator, shown in Figures 1and 5, the member 1 is inserted between the stringers 23 of the slidefastener 25 for endwise movement therebetween with the apertured tab 19hooked over the lug 13 to attach the actuator and the runner portion 5inserted forwardly under the stringers 23 and the slide 21 and the shank3 extending rearwardly from said runner portion 5 with the hook portion9 uppermost. When thus applied and attached, the runner portion 5'interposed between the stringers 23 and the material 41, or skin, andthe bottom 7 running on the material, said runner portion 5 upon endwisemovement of the member 1 will smooth out wrinkles in the material, orskin, while the slide 21 may be easily and conveniently moved inopposite directions by corresponding movement of the member 1 to open orclose the slide fastener.

When the slide fastener 31, as shown in Figure 6, is solid, the member 1may be used to push the slide 21 so as to open the slide fastener, byinserting the tab 31 rearwardly through the slot 29 with the member 1otherwise positioned, as previously described, the member 1 being pushedforwardly by means of the hook portion 9 to push the slide 21.

To either push or pull the slide, the member 1 may be optionally used byinverting the same and the hook portion 9 hooked under the slide 21 sothat the runner portion 11 is between the material 41, or skin, and thestringers 23 and the tab 19 or 31 as the case may be and the tabinserted in the slot 35. If an apertured tab 19 is inserted in the slot35, the teeth 39 will interlock with the slot 17 to attach the member 1to the slide 21, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. If the solid tab 31 isinserted in the slot 35, the teeth 39 will bite into said tab uponproper manipulation of the member 1. Thus the member 1 in optional useof the runner portion 11 may be securely attached to either an aperturedtab 21 or a solid tab 31 for operating the slide 21. As will beunderstood, the runner portion 11 will act in the same capacity as therunner portion 5. However, it is to be noted that the runner portion 11is narrower than the runner portion 5. This is advantageous in openingand closing smaller sizes of slide fasteners 25. In the first describedapplication of the actuator, the hook portion 9 affords a finger hookhand grip means for manipulating the member, and in the last decribedapplication of the member 1, the runner portion 5 provides a hand gripmeans for manipulating the member.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clearunderstanding of our invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive con- -cept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaim.

7 3 4 What is claimed as new is as follows: center with a pair ofopposite spaced apart teeth adapted An actuator for attachment to aslotted tab of a slide to interlock with a slot of said tab. movablealong a pair of slide fastener stringers to open and close saidstringers over a piece of material compris- References Cited in The fileOf (1115 Patent ing a shank having a return bent hook portion on one 5end forming a runner adapted to be hooked under the UNiTED STATESPATENTS slide and stringers to run between the stringers and ma-2,515,557 Haswcll July 18, 1950 terial and having a transverse slottherein adapted to re 2,656,579 Wilson Oct. 27, 1953 ceive said tab,said slot being provided in its transverse 2,663,588 Scheldorfer Dec.22, 1953

